Lions vs. Texans preview: Why Detroit’s pass rush must strike against weak Texans offensive line

With the whole country watching the Detroit Lions again, this time in primetime on “Sunday Night Football” against the Houston Texans, Detroit’s weakest unit must step up. The Lions’ defensive line came into the 2024 season with their best players under coach Dan Campbell. A few weeks into the season, suddenly, what was their strongest unit was their weakest. Injuries have piled up all over the defensive line, impacting this team a lot. It started with defensive end Marcus Davenport and linebacker Derrick Barnes before superstar defensive end Aidan Hutchinson also went down.

Detroit had one of the better run defenses in the NFL before the injuries, and now the Lions are tied for the fourth-worst yards per carry allowed with 4.8. While the run defense has taken a step back with those personnel losses, the pass rush has suffered the most. In the past three weeks, the Lions have rotated multiple players in at the defensive end spot and signed players off practice squads, but they have yet to work.

For the Lions to win against the Texans, the pass rush must hit home to slow the Texans’ passing game. Opposing quarterbacks for Detroit have had plenty of time to throw in the past three weeks, and while it hasn’t hurt the Lions yet, it’s only a matter of time before a team takes advantage of it. Let me explain why the Lions’ pass rush must step up and be a difference-maker on Sunday night.

Bodies are returning for much-needed depth

First, the Lions should have some players returning from injuries this week that can help beef up the defensive line and give them more players they can have to rush the passer. Defensive end Josh Paschal has missed the past two weeks with a non-cancerous mass that was on his shoulder that needed to be removed, and he expects to be back this week. Another player trending towards returning is defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo, who missed last week with an ankle injury, as he was a full participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. Defensive tackle Brodric Martin is still on IR, but his return clock started last week and was a full participant in practice. I think he is a week or so away from playing, but it’s possible Detroit activates him for Sunday night.

If Paschal or Wingo can’t go again this week, Detroit will have to look at its depth to see if anybody can step up again. The Lions’ depth has been tested this season since Hutchinson went down, and there’s been a clear night-and-day difference in the defensive line and the defense as a whole. Let me show you how impactful Hutchinson has been to this defense.

Defense (average per game)

Pressures - 13.8 with Hutchinson, 7.6 without

Sacks - 4.4 vs. 1.6

Hurries - 5.4 vs. 3.6

Defensive line only (average per game)

Pressures - 12 vs. 5

Sacks - 2.6 vs. 0.6

Hurries - 4.6 vs. 3

Non-DL only (average per game)

Pressures - 1.8 vs. 2.6

Sacks - 0.4 vs. 1

Hurries - 0.8 vs. 0.6

Overall, you can see that the defense as a whole isn’t the same without Hutchinson on the field. The defensive line has regressed in all three categories per average. You also see the number of non-defensive linemen increase in two out of the three categories because the Lions have had to generate pressure from their linebackers and safeties to strike fear in opposing quarterbacks.

Hello Za’Darius Smith

With their struggles along the pass rush, the Lions made a trade at the trade deadline on Tuesday for Cleveland Browns defensive end Za’Darius Smith. Smith has an instant impact on this defensive line, and while he isn’t in his prime like he was with the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings, he can still help this defense greatly. He isn’t on pace to break the NFL sack record like Hutchinson, but he is a veteran who knows his job and how to do it well.

Campbell gave Smith Wednesday and Thursday off, so his status for Sunday is up in the air. The Lions could give Smith a week to adjust and learn the playbook before putting him on the field, but at 32 years old and playing on four other teams in his career, he won’t need much time to pick up the defense.

Even if Smith only has a few snaps on Sunday, that can be helpful and impactful for the pass rush. Smith has 23 tackles, six tackles for loss, and five sacks on the year. Smith will probably become a starter opposite of Paschal in Week 11, maybe Week 12, but even if he doesn’t start, his presence alone on the field is just what the Lions need. Another player who can impact the quarterback’s movement and decision-making helps rebuild this defensive line away from being the weakness of this defense.

Take advantage of weak interior

Slowing down this high-powered offense in Houston starts with their offensive line. They are one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL, allowing the second-most sacks as quarterback C.J. Stroud has been sacked 30 times this season, just three fewer than Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. When it comes to their offensive line, their weak point is on the interior.

Starting left guard Kenyon Green is out for the year with a shoulder injury, so Jarrett Patterson or Kendrick Green could fill in for him. Neither would be a great choice. When Kendrick Green took over on Thursday night, he allowed five pressures, one sacks, and earned a 0.4 PFF pass blocking grade. Patterson, a sixth-round pick last year, has only taken 10 NFL snaps at guard, as he mostly plays center.

Texans right guard Shaq Mason has struggled this season. He now has the lowest pass-blocking PFF grade of the starters (63.9). With Kenyon Green out, he has allowed the most sacks (four), the second-most hurries (12), and the second-most pressures (21). Center Juice Scruggs is not far behind Mason, with a pass-blocking grade of 67, allowing three sacks, seven hurries, and 12 pressures.

This is where the Lions’ interior defensive line can feast as defensive tackle Alim McNeill has the third-highest pass rush grade on the team (77.6) and has the third most pressure, according to Pro Football Reference, with 10.

He isn’t alone, though; defensive tackle DJ Reader is fourth on the team in pass rushing grade (70.4), with four pressures and a sack to go with it. Defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike is fifth in pass rushing grade (67.2) but has generated the most pressure among the interior with 12 pressures and a sack and a half. If the interior can generate pressure, while the edge rushers and linebackers can close in on the tackles, Stroud will have nowhere to run. If the defensive line can get the bodies back on the field and push the line’s interior back, the Texans’ offensive line might continue their struggles in Week 10.

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